Self-stopping torque wrench with interchangeable magazine and socket assembly



APICELLI March 29, 1960 T. G. 2,930,267

SELF-STOPPING TORQUE WRENCH WITH INTERCHANGEABLE MAGAZINE AND SOCKET ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 29, 1958 AIR HOSE INVENTOR.

THOMAS G. A PICELLI Fig.l

March 29, 1960 T. G. APICELLI 2,930,267

SELF-STOPPING TORQUE WRENCH WITH INTERCHANGEABLE MAGAZINE AND SOCKET ASSEMBLY Filed April 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 21 56- J 98 84 use 9 so 96 90 Q mam SELF-STOPPING TORQUE WRENCH WITH INTER- g llgflxEABLE MAGAZINE AND SOCKET AS- Thoinas G. Apicelli, Coronado, Calif.

Application April 29, 1958, Serial No. 731,797

2 Cl. (Cl. 8152.4)

The present invention relates generally to torque wrenches and more particularly to a torque wrench with an interchangeable magazine and socket assembly.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a torque wrench in which the socket tool is combined with a magazine to hold a plurality of nuts, bolts or the like and the assembly is interchangeable as a unit.

Another object of this invention is to provide a torque wrench having means to stop the driving motor when the preset torque is reached and to hold the driving elements disconnected until manually reset.

I A further object of this invention is to provide a torque wrench which may be used with electric or fluid type motors, the switch means being adapted to control both."

Finally, it is an object to provide a torque wrench which is simple and convenient to use and which will give generally efficient and durable service.

With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawings which form a material part of this disclosure and in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of the torque wrench, certain parts being shown in full for clarity;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to the lower portion of Figure 1, but showing the mechanism in disengaged or oif position;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure l; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 3.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the torque wrench comprises a cylindrical barrel 10 having a closed lower end 12 and a cap 14 screw threaded on the upper end thereof. Mounted axially within the barrel 10 is a tubular sleeve 16 which protrudes through the cap 14 and has a flange 18 which bears against the inside of said cap to hold the sleeve against axial displacement. The sleeve 16 extends almost to the closed end 12 and mounted on the lower end of said sleeve is a driving collar 20, rotatable on a roller bearing 22 about the axis of the sleeve and movable axially thereon for a limited distance, said driving collar having an annular pinion gear 24. Integral with the side of the barrel 10 is a gear box 26 containing a conventional reversible gear mechanism 28 driven by a motor 30, the final gear 32 of the mechanism being meshed with the pinion gear 24 to rotate the driving collar 20. In the lower end of the barrel 10 is a driven collar 34 supported by a roller bearing 36 Patented Mar. 29, 1960 against the inner wall of said barrel and by a thrust bearing 38 against the closed end 12, said driven collar having a cylindrical stub sleeve 40 extending axially through said closed end. The upper face of the driven collar 34 has a plurality of radial teeth 42 which mesh with similar teeth 44 on the lower face of the driving collar 20, to provide a driving connection between the two.

The upper portion of the sleeve 16 is externally screw threaded, as indicated at 46 to receive a pair of adjusting nuts 48. Fitted around the sleeve 16 beneath the adjusting nuts 48 is a dished retaining ring 50 which holds one end of a compression type load spring 52, the other end of said spring resting on a thrust plate 54 which is supportedon the upper end of the driving collar 20 by means of a thrust bearing 56. The load spring 52 holds the driving collar 20 firmly in contact with the driven collar 34, with the teeth 42 and 44 meshed, pressure being controlled by the adjusting nuts 48 which are accessible through suitable openings 58 in the barrel 10.

Fixed to the side of the barrel 10 is a switch assembly 60 comprising a cylindrical housing 62 in which is mounted a stop pin 64 slidable on an axis radially of the axis of sleeve 16, said stop pin protruding through the barrel and having at its end a freely rotatable roller 66 which rides on the surface of the driving collar 20 below the pinion gear 24, as in Figures 1 and 4. The driving collar 20 has an annular groove 68 spaced below the contact position of the roller 66, the purpose of which" connection of hoses and 82, as in Figure 6, so that the motive fluid for driving the motor 30 must pass through the valve chamber 72. Within the valve chamber 72 is a sleeve valve 84 fixed to the stop pin 64 and having an inlet port 86 and an outlet port 88, aligned with the inlet and outlet 76 and 78, respectively, when the roller 66 is resting on the driving collar 20, as in Figure 1. A spring 90 is fitted between the wall 70 and the sleeve valve 84 to bias the stop pin inwardly. Inside the switch chamber 74 are two opposed terminals 92 and 94 fixed in insulating bushings 96 and having connecting lugs 98 and 100 protruding externally of the housing 62. Fixed to the stop pin 64 is a contact disc 102 which fits between the terminals 92 and 94 and completes an electrical circuit therebetween. Thus, if an electrical motor 30 is used, the circuit of the motor is connected across the terminals 92 and 94 by means of conductors 104 and 106, Figure 5.

Extending axially from the housing 62 is a boss 108 in which the stop pin 64 slides, said stop pin being fitted with a hand ring 110 at its outer end. The boss 108 has a diametrical slot 112 to receive the ring 110 and prevent rotation of the stop pin 64 during normal operation and also has shallow diametrically opposed notches 114 substantially normal to the slot. The stop pin 64 can thus be locked out of operation by pulling the ring 110 out beyond the boss 108 and giving the pin a quarter turn to seat said ring in the notches 114.

Secured to the stub sleeve 40 is a substantially conventional hexagonal socket tool 116, held in place by a set screw 120, or the like. Extending from and integral with the socket tool 116 is an elongated tubular magazine 122 which is internally hexagonal to hold a plurality of conventional nuts 124, or bolts as the case may be. The driven collar 34 has a hexagonal internal bore 118 to fit the magazine 122 and provide a positive driving connection. The magazine 122 fits inside the sleeve 16 and can be of any desired length, the sleeve being extended beyond the barrel 10 to accommodate a long magazine.

The socket too1'1'16 contains a pair of spring detents 126 to hold the lowermost nut 124 and prevent the remainder of the nuts from dropping out of the magazine. In use the nuts 124 normally feed byrspringpressure or by gravity, but if necessary a compressed air hose 128 may. be connected'to the end of the sleeve 16 to assist in feeding the nuts.

In operation, the motor 3%) drives the driving collar 20 which rotates the driven collar 34 together with the socket tool 116 and magazine 122. When the, nut, or bolt, being driven is tightened to the predetermined degree of torque, as set by the adjusting nuts 48, the driving collar teeth 42 climb upon the driven collar teeth 44, overcoming the lead spring 52 and breaking the driving connection. At the same time, the groove 68 in. the

driving collar 2t) risessufficiently to allow the roller end,

of the, stop pin764 to drop into the groove. This action shiftsthe sleeve valve 84 and the contact disc 102, so

breaking both the fluid and electrical circuits, as shown in Figure 3, and stopping the motor 30. With the. stop pin 64 in the groove 68, the driving collar 20 is held in the disengaged position until reset by pulling the ring 110 to remove said stop pin from the groove.

The socket tool 116 and magazine 122 are easily interchangeable as a, unit, so that dilferent sizes of nuts or,

bolts can be handled without having to empty or fill a magazine each, time. The various magazines, can be stored, already loaded and are secured in the torque wrenchbythe single set screwt120. Each magazine 122 would preferably have an external dimension to fit the,

hexagonal bore 118. in the driven collar 34, the internal size onlybeing changed .to fit a specific nut or bolt head.

It. is understood thatminor variation fromv the form. oftheinvention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the specification and drawings are to be considered as merely illustrative'rather thanlimiting.

I claim:

1. A torque wrench, comprising: a barrel having a,

collar; a load spring holding said driving collar and said driven collar normally in engagement; means for adjusting said load spring to control the maximum torque applicable to said driven collar; a motor operatively connected to said driving collar; switch means coupled to said driving collar to stop said motor when the predetermined torque is reached; and an integral part-holding magazine and socket tool assembly removably secured to said driven collar; said magazine extending axially through said driven collar and being rotatable within said fixed sleeve.

2. A torque wrench, comprising: a barrel having a fixed sleeve mounted therein; a driving collar rotatably and axially slidably mounted on said sleeve; a driven collar rotatably mounted in said barrel coaxial with said sleeve and being releasably engageable with said driving collar; a load spring holding said driving collar and said driven collar normally in engagement; means for adjusting said load spring to control the maximum torque applicable to said driven collar; a motor operatively connected to said driving collar; switch means coupled to said driving collar to stop said motor when the predetermined torque is reached; said switch means including a stop pin axially slidable substantially radially of said driving collar and biased to bear, thereon; said driving collar havinga groove to receive said stop pin when the driving collar is shifted axially out of engagement with said driven collar; and an integral part-holding magazine and socket tool assembly removably secured to said driven collar; said magazine extending axially through said driven collar andrbeing rotatable within said fixed sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,256,012 Blair Sept. 16, 1941 2,412,275 Klopovic Dec. 10, 1946 2,616,322 Spreng Nov. 4, 1952 2,704,952 Mooter Mar. 29, 1955 2,705,896 Holmes Apr. 12, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 881,445 France Jan. 22, 1943. 

